By George A. Boyd ©2021
Q: I seem to get the same material when I am journaling and inquiring—asking questions to my Higher Self? I keep exploring these same issues, like I am continually re-hashing the same stuff.
A: It depends on what question you ask. Different questions evoke discrete responses from the Subconscious and the Subconscious mind. For example, if you ask:
How do you feel? You’ll dredge up the emotional issues you have been dealing with in your life. [This question is often used as a segue into psychotherapy—it focuses you on your poignant emotional issues and concerns.]
What do you really want? You’ll tap the core of your desires that motivate you. [This is a good one to use if you are experiencing boredom and ennui with key areas in your life—your relationship, the people in your social network, your classes in school, your career, or your spiritual or religious organization.]
What fears hold you back? You’ll examine the obstacles fear puts up to block your success. [If you have not been moving forward on your dreams and aspirations because of fear, this is a beneficial question to ask.]
What doubts don’t allow you to move forward? You’ll look into how lack of belief in your Self, or a deficit of faith and hope influence your ability to achieve your dreams. [This helps you confront your inner critic and begin to dismantle it.]
What are your core fears? You’ll probe into the root of your egoic complex that clings to survival and runs away from danger and death. [You’ll want to use this one when you seek to make a spiritual breakthrough, to leap across the great chasm and allow your spiritual life to be awakened in you.]
What action can you take to move forward? You’ll employ this question to identify steps you can take that will free you from inertia and feeling stuck. [This is helpful when you are dealing with procrastination and feelings of not knowing what to do to create movement.]
What’s the next step? You’ll make use of this one when you want to know where you are going in your life in a particular area. It lays out a step-by-step plan for you to reach the goal or purpose for this area of your life. [Those of you who are unaware of the purpose for engaging in a particular endeavor will find this sheds light on your what to do next to actualize that aspect of your nature. We use a structured exercise to gather this guidance from your Higher Self in our intermediate meditation classes.]
What do You require of me, Oh Lord? You’ll utilize this question when you want to know the Divine Will for your life. [We discuss the elements of what the Divine Will is in our article, “The personal octave of the Divine Will,” which is in our Library, and also in our book, A Mudrashram® Reader: Understanding Integral Meditation.]
How may I serve? This reveals your Soul’s gifts that it can express in you, the wisdom and intuitive knowledge that it wishes to share, and the love and compassion that it feels that it wants to do bring out. [This frees the deeper life within you to express in your life.]
How do I make progress on the Path? This clarifies what are your next steps spiritually. [We assist aspirants to answer this question with our Soul Purpose Reading, which reveals the highlights of the Path ahead.]
What is my purpose? This requests your Soul to reveal the facets of its Purpose that it is implementing in your life. [You begin this inquiry when you have established a partnership with your Soul to enable it to express in your life.]
How do I fulfill my dreams [or overcome this challenge to reaching my dreams]? This question guides you to the steps to achieve actualization—making your dreams come true. [You would bring out this question when you are already clear about your personal zone of operation and your Soul’s zone of expression, and you seek to chart a course to personal fulfillment.]
Alternate Ways of Finding Answers to Your Questions
When asking questions does not yield fruitful or actionable responses, here are some alternatives you can use:
Practicing the Presence – In this method, you place your attention into the inner presence within you that declares, “I am God.” You listen for any guidance that it may give you. You would adopt this method if you do not know what question to ask to overcome an obstacle or move forward in your life.
The feet of the Master – In this approach, you sit at the feet of your inner spiritual Guide, and listen to what he or she tells you. You would draw upon this method when you cannot get constructive, actionable material during your dialogs with your Soul or in responses to your prayers.
The Light upon the altar – In this technique, you contemplate the Light of the Holy Spirit anchored in your Moon Soul, or the Shakti that broods upon your cosmic consciousness. This alternative comes into play when you cannot contact the Guide within, or your attempts to get guidance from the Soul or in response to prayer is not fruitful.
Journaling Specific Areas in Your Life
You also can journal to look into your goals for each of the areas of your life. Areas you can explore in your process include:
- Your health
- Your home and environment
- Your emotional issues
- Your relationships
- Your education
- Your career
- Your finances
- Your creativity
- Your moral values
- Your engagement with your community
- Your learning about other cultures and travel
- Your recovery from addiction or trauma
- Your quest for meaning and understanding
- Your spiritual journey
- Your personal dreams for your life
Journaling is like a crowbar that pries open the inner depths of the mind. It lets you uncover your truths. We encourage you to journal with the appropriate questions upon relevant topics to reap the full benefits of this practice.
Our meditation students who are taking or have completed one of our intermediate classes, the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation or the by-mail and online Accelerated Meditation Program, are eligible to obtain The Mudrashram® Home Study Workbook, which gives you the information and resources to prepare a personal and spiritual journal. We recommend that you obtain this book, if you gravitate to doing a journal as a way of gaining insight and clarifying what decisions to make.
